Push-button electric switch.



EATENT'BB JAN. '7, 1908.

W. G. MANN.

PUSH BUTTON ELECTRIC SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 2G. 1907.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

PATENTBD JANJV, 1908.

n No. 876,207.

W. C. MANN. PUSH BUTTCN ELECTRIC SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 20. 1907.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ATTORNEYS M MW WITNESSES PATENTED JAN. 7, 1908.l

W.C-. MANN. i PUSH BUTTON ELECTRIC SWITCH.

APPLIUATION FILED JUNE Z0. 1907.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

WITNESSES mm ATTORNEYS UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEroE.

WILLIAM GEORGE MANN, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE PERKINS ELECTRIC SWITCH MFG. COMPANY, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

PUSH-BUTTON ELECTRIC SWITCH.

Specification of 4Letters Patent.

Patented' Jan. 7, 1 908.

Application led June 20, 1907. Serial No. 379,950.

To all whom 'Lt may concern:

Be. it known that I, WILLIAM GEORGE VMANN, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield, in the State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Push-Button Electric Switches, of which the following is a specification.

The main object of my invention is to so construct a push buttonA electric switch that it may be used to control two or more circuits independently.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a sectional view of a two-circuit push'button switch, the section being taken ong-the lines 1 1, Figs. 2 and 4; Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 2 2, Fig. 1; Fig. 3 isgfa sectional View on the lines 3 3, Figs. 2 and 4, the po- 4 sitions of certain moving partsof the switch bein changed; Fig. 4 is a sectional view o`n the line 4 4, Fie. 3 Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the same lines as Fig. 1, but showing the moving parts of the switch in other positions; Fig. 6 is a sectional view of the operative parts of the switch removed from the case, the section being taken on the line 6 6, Fig. 3.; Fig. 7 is a detachedview, the section being taken on the line 7 7, Fig. 6; Fig. 8 is a view of the face plate of the switch; Fig. 9

is a wiring diagram of the switch shown in Figs. 1 to 8 Fig. 10 is a sectional perspective view illustrating a modified form of switch to control three circuits; Fig. 11 is a view of the face plate of this. three circuit switch with Vfonr push buttons g and Fig. 12 is a wiringdiagrain for thisthree circuit switch. Fig. 13 is a sectional view, showing the additional switch blade of Fig. 10l with the spring strained and ready for the release of the catch.

My invention may be applied to various l' constructions of push buttn switches, but

way of illustration I have shown it as applied to the push button switch forming the subject ofthe Thomas patent 743,348, granted November 3, 1903. 4 v

A is the casing of porcelain or other suitable insulating material, having secured to its upper part the cross bar 11, through which andthrough the face plate F (Fig. 8) l work .two push buttons 1 and 2, preferably of hard rubber. The stems of these push buttons are pivoted to the opposite ends of a rocking catch lever H turning freely on the rockshaft 9, whicll turns in the upright post 10. This post is secured at its upper end to the cross bar 11, while at its lower end it enters a recess in the bottom of the porcelain casing. With the lever H there iscombined a swinging plate having catches to engage with catches on the lever, and a spiral spring S, (Fi 6), with legs s and s1 to act upon a latera yk projecting lug h on the lever H and also upon a cross arm 15, laterally projecting from the switch blade 7, all substantially as described in the said Thomas atent. This switch blade 7 is carried by, ut insulated from the rockshaft 9. The second switch blade described inthe Thomas patent is in the present case omitted, and in its lace I mount upon the rockshaft 9 so as to e free to have a limited movement thereon,V a vswitch blade 20, which has an insulated part 21, a contact button 22, and a catch 23. It is also provided with a laterally projecting lug 24, (Fig. 7), on which bears one leg of a coiled spring P, while the other leg of the spring bears against the opposite side of the end f the cross arm 15, which pro'ects across from the blade at the other side o the switch (Fig. 6). The tendency of this spring therefore is to bring and keep the lug 24 up against cross arm 15, as shown in Fig. 1, but when the blade 7 has been thrown by the push button 2 to the horizontal position (Fig. 3), the

spring latch 25 in engagement with the catch 23 w111 hom the switch 2o in the position.

shown in Fig. 7 against the tension of the spring. This latch 25 slides vertically, being guided in a slotin the post 10, and has secured to its up er end a push button 14, and is rovided with a suitable spring 27 to tend to eep the push button up and the latch 25 in en agement with the catch. On pressing this utton 14, (Fig. 5), the catch will be released and thespring P will then throw this switch blade 20 from the position shown in Figs. l and 7 to that shown in Fig. 5 to break the circuit.

To the switch blade 7, I secure an insulating wing 30, provided with a contact button 31, (Fig. 3) in such a position that when the blade 7 is thrown to break the connection between the contact clips at opposite ends of the casing, that button will then enter between and connect the adjacent contacts at its end of the casing. The Contact clips are shown in Figs. 2 and 4 and are indicated in the diagram,-Fig. 9. One line wire is connected up to bindimg post 32, which is electrically connected to the spring contact 33, (Figs. 1, 4,5 and 9). Opposite the free end of this contact 33 is the spring contact 34, and connected to the latter is spring contact 35, (Figs. 4, 5 and 9). Opposite the latter is spring contact 36, which is in electrical connection with binding ost 37 to which another wire is connecte leading to the set of lamps L, (Fig. 9). At the opposite end of the casing Jfrom these sprinor contacts 33, 34, 35 and 36, I mount a singlle pair of spring contacts 33, (Fig. 2) in electrical connection with binding post 381, to which is connected a lirIiFe wire leading to the second set of lamps lx1, IO. 9. I

In Figs. 1 and 9, the positions are the same, that is to say, the push button 1 having been pressed down, the contact button 31 will close the circuit between 35 and 36, Fig. 9, and the contact blade 20 Will be thrown into the latched position shown in Fig. 1, with the contact button 22 electrically connecting the contacts 33 and 34, thus throwing the lamps L into circuit. The

' blade 20 is thrown over to the latched position Fig. 1, from the position Fig. 5, by reason of the cross-arm 15 bearing against the lug 24. If now the push button2 be operated to swing the blade 7 to the horizontal position shown in Fig. 3, this blade will close the circuit between the contacts 35 and 36 and also the contacts 38, throwing the second set of lamps L1 into circuit, as well as the lamps L, Fig. 9. If now the third push button" '14, marked Off in Fig. 8, be pressed, so as to free the catch 24, the spring P, which by the last movement of blade 7 has been tensioned to the osition shown in Fig. 7, will throw the bla e 20 to the osition Fig. 5, carrying the button 22 away om contacts 33 and 34 to break the circuit, and leaving an insulating sheet between those contacts.

If it be desired to construct a push button switch to control three circuits instead of two, I use four push buttons as shown in Fig. 10, the buttons 1 and 2 being the same as before, and the Off button being placed to one side, while a new button?) is added to control a spring-actuated contact blade, simid lar to blade 20. This added contact blade 40 is shown in Fig. 10 and is mounted to'turn to a limited extent u on the rockshaft 9.i In the case illustrate it is shown as mounted back of the blade 20, but projecting towards the opposite end of the casing from that to which the blade 2() projects. This blade 4() has an insulatin part with a contact button 41, and normaly is held in the position shown in Fig. 10 by a latch lever 42 pivoted to a lug 43 on the cross bar engaging a catch on blade 40. This latch lever is acted on by the push button 3 against a suitable spring 4. A spring' P1, Fig. 13 has one end bearing on the cross arm 15, While the other end bears on a lug 44 of the contact blade 40,

tending, when the spring'is tensioned by the l movement of blade 7 ,to throw the blade 40 down to the position indicated in Fig. 12, when the button 3 is pressed to free the latch 42.

The circuits will be understood on reference to Fig. 12, there being asv before, contacts 33, 34, 35, 36 and 38 leading to the two lamp circuits L and L1. A third lamp circuit L2 is added connected to a contact 3 9, opposite which is a contact 39 in electrical connection with the pair of clips 38. The

blade 4() operates in conjunction with the contacts 39 and 391. When this blade 4() is in the elevated position shown in Fig. 10, maintained there by the catch 42, the insulated part of the blade will lie between said contacts and the third set of lamps L2 will be out of circuit. When it is desired to throw this third set of lamps into circuit, the second and first sets being already in circuitas heretofore described in connection with Figs. 1 to 9, the push'button 3 is ressed to raise the latch 42, whereupon the lade 4v() will be thrown down by its spring to bring the contact button 41 between the springs 39 and 391 and close the circuit there, as indicated at Fig. 12. In this diagram, Fig- 12, I have indicated the blade 20 as in its raised position to break the circuit at 33, 34, and so cut out all the lamps on the depression of the Off 'circuit-breaking push button.

I claim Vas my invention 1. A push button switch having contacts for connection with more than one circuit, and a push button and circuit closing means operated therebyv for each circuit with a spring actuated circuit-breaking blade, a latch to hold the latter and a pushl button to release said blade to break the circuit.

2. A push button switch having contacts for connection with more than one circuit, and a push button and circuit closing means for each circuit with a circuit-breaking blade, a spring to actuate the latter and adapted to be tensioned bythe circuit closing means and a latch .for the circuit-breaking blade, and a push button to release it.

3. A push button switch having contacts for connection 'with more than one circuit, and'a ush button and circuit closing means for eac circuit with a circuit-breaking blade, a spring to actuate the latter and adapted to be tensioned by the circuitclosing means,`

latching means .for the circuit-breaking blade, and a push button to release it and devices connecting the circuit-closing means with the circuit-breaking blade to move the latter v 

